Hearts and Minds
by foxyfeline
Summary: Calleigh is attacked at a crime scene. What will Eric do?
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Hearts and Minds

**Author: **Foxyfeline

**Category: **Romance/Drama

**Pairing: **Eric/Calleigh

**Rating: **T

**Spoilers: **Basic knowledge of the show but there are small ones for "Going Under"

**Disclaimer: **I don't own them…so please don't sue me.

**Author's Notes: **I am new to the Eric/Calleigh pairing. They have intrigued me for a while me now but after reading some of the fics out there I am a full blown shipper. Hope

**Enjoy the fic and be sure to review!!**

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"Hey Alexx what have we got?" Calleigh asked as she kneeled next to Alexx and the body.

"Female vic, beaten and stabbed to death. I put T.O.D. sometime between 10 pm and midnight, based on her liver temp. She put up a fight too based on her broken nails. You weren't going quietly were you sweetie?" Alexx asked the corpse. "I'll let you know more when I get her on the table" she added as she watched the body haulers remove the body.

"Sounds good" replied Calleigh as she snapped some photos of the body

"Hey Cal" said Eric as he approached. "Our vic's name is Melissa Farnsworth. She's a bank exec downtown. Her neighbors said they heard a commotion about 11:30 last night"

"Well that fits the timeline Alexx gave for the T.O.D. Who found her?"

"Her assistant. When she didn't show up for work or answer the phone she came looking for her. I found some blood droplets leading to the kitchen. It's possible that is where the attack started or our assailant cut him or herself during the attack" added Natalia.

"And I found some footprints and disturbed flowers heading from the back of the house" added Eric

"Ok you take the outside and Natalia and I will process the inside" replied Calleigh being sure to flash him her _'please do it for me'_ smile. Eric gave a small laugh, he knew that smile all too well. He'd do anything for her even without that smile.

"Is that a computer disc?" asked Natalia pointing to something in the blood pool.

Calleigh knelt down and without touching, examined the object. "Yeah it looks it. She must have dropped it because the blood pools around it"

"We might also have some partials here on the wall"

"Ok, you follow the blood and I'll see if I can pull some prints"

"Ok"

About half and hour later Natalia emerged from the backdoor of the house and walked around the side towards Eric. "Hey you got anything?" she asked

"Yeah, bunch of footprints that lead from the back of the house towards the street. What about you?" Just as he replied Eric noticed a man in a white uniform enter the house.

"I got some blood that might not belong to our vic. She was found in the hallway but the blood droplets" Natalia abruptly stopped when she saw her ex walking towards them.

"Hey Natalia"

"Nick you need to wait behind the crime scene tape"

"Yeah and you need to get your partner out the house cause we aren't through yet" Eric didn't like this guy and it wasn't because he was Natalia's ex. If what Natalia said was true, he hated any man who treated women like punching bags.

Nick's smile disappeared from his face and was replaced by one of confused "I don't have a partner"

Natalia opened her mouth to say something but Eric beat her to it "Calleigh" Eric didn't give either a chance to say something before he pulled his gun out of its holster and ran towards the front door of the house. "Calleigh!!" he screamed as he ran.

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**TBC….Please be sure to review!!**


	2. Chapter 2

Well here is part 2. Hope you guys are enjoying the story!!

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When Eric reached the inside house his blood ran cold. There on the floor in a growing puddle of blood was Calleigh. "Calleigh" he yelled as he ran to her side. "Calleigh, baby can you hear me?" he could hear his voice breaking as he reached down to feel for a pulse. He was relived when he felt a faint one.

"Eric" yelled Natalia as shem Nick and a uniform entered the house.

"Get an ambulance now!!!" he screamed. The uniform who had accompanied Natalia and Nick called in the ambulance

"Oh my god" Natalia muttered as rushed to Eric's side

"Calleigh, hang in there ok? Please hang in there" he kept pleading with her and holding her as he waited for the ambulance. _"Please God don't take her away from me. Not now" _Eric continued his silent plea to God until the paramedics forced him to move so they could treat Calleigh.

"Eric you need to let go of her hand so they work on her" Natalia said trying to get him to let go

"Yeah, Yeah ok but I'm riding with you" he mumbled as he let go and backed away. "Call Horatio" he added never taking his eyes off the paramedics working on Calleigh.

"Ok, I will"

Throughout the ambulance ride to the hospital Eric held her hand and talked to her but she never once regained consciousness. Once inside, she was immediately rushed into an area which he wasn't allowed. He tried to argue with them but they wouldn't give in.

"Please I need to be in there"

"I'm sorry detective but the best thing you could do right now is wait here and let us do our job"

Dejected, that he could do anything but watch from a distance as the woman he cared about fought for her life, Eric punched a near by wall with his fist. He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there when Horatio showed up.

"Eric!"

"H, they're working on her now but they won't let me in there"

"Eric I want you to calm down and tell me exactly what happened"

Rubbing his now bruised hand through his hair he began to recount earlier events. "We were processing the crime scene. Natalia and I were outside when her ex approached us. I told him we weren't done and he needed to get his partner out of the house. When he told me he didn't have a partner I knew something was wrong. I rushed in and found Calleigh on the floor"

"How long between when you saw the man and when you said something to Nick?"

"I don't know, two minutes tops. This is my fault, I should have been quicker"

"Eric this isn't your fault. All we can do right now is relax and wait for the doctors"

"I don't think I can do that H"

Horatio was about to reply when he saw a doctor approaching them

"Doctor"

"How is she?" asked Eric

"She sustained massive head trauma, as you know. There is blood collecting in the area between her skull and brain. We took a CAT scan and confirmed she has a subdural hematoma. We're prepping her for surgery now"

"Thank you doctor"

Sensing Eric's distress at the situation the doctor added "I'll let know the moment we are out of surgery"

"Doctor we are going to need her clothes and any belongings she has on her"

"I'll have one of the nurses get them to you"

"Thank you" replied Horatio as the doctor turned and left. He then turned to Eric "I want you to stay here"

"Alright when I get her clothes…"

"I'll send Ryan or Natalia for her clothes. I want you to find a doctor and get that hand checked out"

He tried to protest that his hand was fine but Horatio merely gave him that look and he decided it was best not to argue. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm headed back to our crime scene"

And with that Eric was left alone in the waiting room.

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**TBC…**


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3...thanks for all the reviews so far...be sure to keep those coming!!**

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**Back at the crime scene…**

"So the killer came back to the scene but why?" asked Tripp "I mean there are cops and CSI's everywhere. The perp would've been pretty desperate"

"There is a void here in the victim's blood pool. It is possible that is what he came back for" speculated Ryan as he snapped photos

"Hey wait a second, there was a computer disc there" Natalia stated as she approached

"You're sure?" asked Ryan

"Yeah, Calleigh snapped pictures of it"

"Is it possible she collected it as evidence already?" asked Tripp

"I already checked her kit; she hadn't gotten past lifting a few prints and taking photos. So I guess we know why the killer came back"

"Yes and the question now is what is on that disk that makes it worth killing for" replied Horatio as he entered the foyer.

"Horatio" acknowledged Ryan.

"Any news on Calleigh?" asked Tripp

"She is in surgery. Natalia I need you to go to the hospital and collect her clothes as evidence and take them straight to the lab for processing"

"You got it" she replied gathering her things and heading out.

Horatio nodded to her as she passed "Ryan what else can you tell me?"

"I managed to lift a partial print from a large piece of the broken vase. Hopefully our assailant is in the system. Also, Calleigh lifted some prints from the pillar near where the body was discovered. Natalia said she may have some blood DNA not belonging to our vic in the sink. I'm just trying to pick up where she might have left off before…" he left the sentence hanging.

"So he might have cut himself. Ok, keep me posted. Tripp?" Ryan nodded and went back to collecting evidence trying not to get distracted by the sight of his friend's blood on the floor.

"Yeah"

"Did anyone see anything?"

"None of the patrol officers saw the guy Eric described enter the house. But a neighbor around the block said she a man about 5'8", Caucasian, wearing a white jumper, run through her backyard and hop an adjacent fence. She didn't get a good look at his face but I've got officers canvassing the neighborhood."

"Ok, I want you on that too"

"What are you gonna do?"

"I am going to see Alexx. I'm hoping our vic has some DNA on her that doesn't belong to her" He replied putting his sunglasses on and heading out the front door.

Alexx tried to concentrate but she couldn't. She did, however, take the small grace she'd been granted that her friend wasn't laid out on one of the other tables. It had been exceptionally hard to do Tim's autopsy and she was sure it would mean her resignation if she had to Calleigh's.

She nearly collapsed when Horatio told her what happened. It wasn't bad enough the scumbag had to snuff out a young woman but to attack a police officer as well. She hoped when they caught the bastard someone gave him a taste of his own medicine.

The door to her morgue swung open and Horatio sauntered in "Alexx what have you got?"

"There are some skin cells under her fingernails." She replied handing him an envelope containing the evidence.

"Cause of death?"

"Blood loss. She bled to death from the five inflicted stab wounds. The one to her carotid artery was the one that did her in. Our perp gave her a nice shiner too but no residual brain trauma from that"

"He probably hit her to distract her and then stabbed her"

"She didn't know what hit her"

"How's Calleigh?"

"She is in surgery."

"How bad is it, Horatio? Really?"

Horatio knew he wouldn't be able to put anything past Alexx "Subdural hematoma"

"I'd like to have five minutes alone with this guy when you catch him"

"So would I Alexx, so would I"

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**TBC…..Don't forget to use that magic button!!**


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks again for all the reviews keep those coming...and now on with the next chapter...

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Eric's whole body felt heavy and numb as he sat in the waiting room. It was going on three hours since Calleigh had been taken into surgery and his mind was beginning to conjure up all the things that could be going wrong in the operating room.Casually rubbing his bruised knuckles he didn't hear the approaching footsteps.

"Eric?"

"Alexx. When did you get here?"

"Just now, how you doing sweetie?" she asked sitting down in the empty chair across from him. It was then that she noticed the purple bruises on his knuckles. "Honey what did you do to your hand?"

"I, uh, punched a wall" he replied folding his hands in his lap.

"Did you get it checked out at least?" she asked reaching for his injured hand

"It's not broken"

"Good. Has there been any news yet?"

"No. It's going on three hours plus and nothing. I just wish someone would come out tell me something, anything" He couldn't hide his frustration anymore. It was killing not knowing how Calleigh was dong and it made his stomach twist into knots every time he pictured her beautiful marred with her own blood.

"Sweetie you need to relax. She is going to be fine you have to believe that. I know you two are close--

"She's my best friend"

"You and I both know it is more than that" Even though it wasn't the time or place Alexx wished she had a camera to capture the look of surprise on Eric's face at that moment.

"Alexx I don't know what you talking about"

"Sweetie just because I spend my day with dead people doesn't mean I don't see what the living ones are doing"

Eric cracked a smile. It was the first time since he found Calleigh lying on the floor that he felt himself relax. "After she the incident where she was run off the road, I could tell she was shaken by it, even though she was telling everyone she was fine"

"Typical Calleigh"

"Yeah it took me a good hour to get her to admit that it bothered her"

_Flashback_

_That night after closing the case Eric decided to confront Calleigh at her home about the ordeal at the canal. She acted like nothing had happened and he wanted to talk to her about it but in realty he wanted to make sure she fine for his own shattered nerves._

"_Eric I'm fine" she immediately said opening her door to let him in._

"_Calleigh you may have Ryan and everyone else fooled but I don't buy it. I saw you right after they pulled the Hummer out of the water"_

"_It happened, it's over. We got our bad guy. What more do you want me to say?"_

"_Why must you always shut people out?"_

"_Excuse me?"_

"_You heard me." He replied getting right up in her personal space. He knew the way to fluster Calleigh and get her to admit to something was to get right up in her face about it. Plus he knew how much she hated it. "You act like the fact that you could have drowned today doesn't bother you."_

_She didn't answer him. He could tell she was retreating and he was losing whatever opportunity he might have to get her to open up. Putting his hands on her shoulders he decided to take a different route. "When H called me and told me you had been run off the road and told me to bring my gear I thought I going to have to fish your body out of that canal and it scared the hell out of me"_

_Needles to say that got her attention_

"_I'm sorry" _

"_I don't want you to be sorry, I want you to talk to me" _

"_I was terrified."_

_Her words startled him. He never expected the strongest woman he had ever met, other than his mother, to admit to being terrified. He was even more shocked when he saw a lone tear fall down her cheek._

_Without drawing attention to it he raised his hand to her cheek and brushed away the tear. He continued to silently rub her cheek with his thumb until she averted her gazed from the floor to his eyes. Normally, not that he ever saw Calleigh cry, she would have that 'I am a strong southern woman look' in her eye but this time her eyes looked softer and less closed off. Feeling his stomach flutter he let instinct totally take over and then next thing he knew their lips were locked in a passionate kiss._

_Seeing that she wasn't resisting his advances he pushed forward cupping her cheeks and deepening the kiss. After a few moments they broke apart, both heavily panting, foreheads touching. _

"_Cal I-"_

"_Shhshh" was all she said before kissing him again, taking him by the hand and leading him to her room_

_End Flashback_

"I can guess what happened next" Alexx replied

"Yeah well since then we've been kind of dating"

"Now what the hell does that mean?"

Eric smirked. He knew how absurd it sounded but it was true. Since that night, they simply went out to dinner, watched movies or talked. Something Eric normally never did after sleeping with a woman but to him Calleigh was different. She had always been different. He was about to explain that to Alexx when the doctor interrupted them.

"Detectives"

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**TBC…..I know am sooooo evil to leave it there but it just begged to be done!! Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I know I left you guys hanging in the last chapter and you might be disappointed by this one...but I have to move the story along!! Enjoy**

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**Lab**

Ryan waited impatiently for his computer to find a match for one of the prints found at the scene. His thoughts wondered to the crime scene, the sight of his friend's blood on the floor and the broken object which inflicted the wound. He attempted to dig his cell phone out of pocket to call Eric at the hospital when the computer indicated it had a match.

"Ryan"

"Horatio, the computer just spit out a match for one of the prints found at the scene"

"Which print?"

"The one on the pillar next to Melissa Farnsworth's body"

"So no match on the either the murder weapon or the vase used to attack Calleigh?"

"No"

"So who does our print belong to?"

"It belongs to one Jonathan Williams. He is the head of the loan department at Miami-Dade National"

"The bank our victim worked at"

"Yeah it says here he deals in international loans, which is why his prints are in the system. All bankers who deal internationally have to be bonded"

"I think it is time we brought Mr. Williams in for a chat, don't you?"

Ryan nodded

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**Interrogation Room**

"Mr. Williams, do you know why you were brought down here?"

"I can guess that it has something to do with Melissa"

"That is correct" replied Horatio as he studied his suspect like an animal studies its prey

"Ok what do you want to know? She was an excellent worker and person"

"That's not why you're here, Mr. Williams" replied Ryan

"Well then…"

"Can you explain why we found your prints at the murder scene?"

Williams paled at the question. He was nervous enough but now they had proof that he was there. "I've been to her place before"

"What was on the disc?" asked Horatio getting up close to Williams

"What? What disc?" he stammered

"The disc that you or your accomplice left behind and upon return to the scene beat an officer with a vase to get" replied Ryan sliding a picture of the blood with the disc void from the scene.

"I don't…"

"One person is already dead and my officer is fighting for her life, and your prints were found at the scene. So don't tell me you don't know" hissed Horatio

"Melissa figured out what we were doing?"

"Who is we?" asked Ryan

"His name is Michael Alexander. We've been friends for years. Two years ago he came to me with a plan to get rich"

"Go on"

"He would create dummy companies and come in and ask for a loan. We turn the loan money into cash and then transfer it into off-shore accounts. Melissa found out what we were doing. She said she had proof"

"So you and Michael went to her house to confront her and get that proof" added Horatio

"Yes but when she wouldn't give it up or negotiate Michael went nuts and hit her"

_Flashback_

"_Give us the disc"_

"_No. The only people who are getting this disc are the FEDS"_

_Her head recoiled from the punch Michael inflicted_

"_Get Out"_

"_Man lets just get out of here" pleaded Williams_

"_I'm not leaving without that disc" with that Alexander headed into the kitchen and grabbed a knife. When he returned he stabbed Melissa several times. _

"_Oh my god, what the hell have you done?" screamed Willaims from pillar where he hid_

"_We need to get out of here"_

"_We need to call the police" replied Williams_

"_You call the police and I'll stab you. Now move"_

_End Flashback_

"We left through the back of the house but not before Mike clean up in the kitchen. Neither of us realized we left the disc behind till later"

"So Michael went back for the disc?"

"Yes"

"Where is he now?"

"Probably home…I don't know. He told me he was going to go back for the disc and I told him I was out he'd have to go back himself"

Ryan passed Williams a pad and pen "write down his address"

Williams took the pen and wrote down the address and handed the pad back to Ryan

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TBC…..Ok next chapter we find out what is happening with Calleigh..I promise!! Please review. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for all those reviews!! I'm glad you guys like the story!!**

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Eric gently stroked the back of Calleigh's hand as he sat by her bedside. The doctors said the operation was success and the drain they inserted in her skull would be removed in a day or so. They told him her vitals were good and she would wake up when she ready; that was yesterday. He was starting to get nervous that there was something else wrong but the doctor's and Alexx had assured him it was her body's way of healing.

"Eric?"

"H, what's up?"

"No change?"

"Her vitals are getting stronger but no she hasn't woken up yet" If Horatio had seen him stroking her hand he hadn't said anything and he decided it was a good thing because he really wasn't in the mood to have to explain himself.

"We got the guys"

"Yeah I know, Ryan told me last night when he stopped by"

"Listen Eric.." Horatio started but was cut off by Eric

"Calleigh?"

"Eric?" Horatio asked as he took a tentative step towards the two them

"She squeezed my hand." He replied standing up and leaning in close "Calleigh can you hear me?"

Calleigh could hear faint voices talking but she couldn't make them out. The only thing she was truly aware of was that someone was holding her hand. As she struggled to open her eyes the voice calling her name became louder and clearer. _I know that voice_. She told herself as she fought the fog that clouded her mind.

"That's it Cal open your eyes" Eric felt as if his heart was going to beat right out his chest as he waited for her to open her eyes. "Cal can you hear me?"

"Eric?" she mumbled as her eyes fluttered open.

"Hey" was he managed to utter out cupping her cheek.

Horatio simply watched the pair. The smile on Eric's face as he looked at Calleigh told him everything he needed to know about the two of them. In truth he had had an inkling of something between them for a while and it was partially confirmed when Eric punched the wall. But now seeing them together he knew for sure. Without saying a word he slipped out of the room to give them some privacy and find a doctor. Neither of them noticed that Horatio had slipped out of the room and neither cared.

Calleigh was released from the hospital a week later with the stipulation that she'd stay home and relax for at least another week. Of course, since she never ever took a sick day all the time she worked in Miami, Eric had his hands full with that task.

Things between them had steadily progressed to point where Eric was practically living with her. He used the excuse she shouldn't be alone and she didn't argue with him because truth be told she liked having him around all the time. Eric had to admit he liked the idea of coming home to Calleigh every night.

"Ya know I kind of like this arraignment" she'd told him one night while they snuggled on the couch.

"Me too." He replied as he nuzzled her neck.

"Good." She replied pulling him down on top of her.

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**The End?...what do think? I may do a sequel but I am undecided about that right now. Heck I may even rewrite the ending!! Let me know!**


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